The Law

Since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, courts have struck down many attempts by state governments to regulate the abortion industry. Just this past summer a Texas law requiring abortion-providing facilities to meet the same health and safety standards … More>

Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt was recently decided 5-3 by the U.S. Supreme Court. It struck down the Texas legislature’s regulations requiring abortion clinics to meet the same standards as any other Texas ambulatory surgical center and to have their … More>

In a highly unusual move, the Supreme Court passed off the case of Zubic v. Burwell like a hot potato. It passed the case to the lower federal appeals courts. The high court, short by one justice due to the … More>

With the death of Justice Antonin Scalia the Supreme Court is left with one chief justice and seven associate justices. President Obama has nominated Merrick B. Garland, chief judge of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, who was a Clinton … More>

I had the great privilege to hear Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia speak on three separate occasions and once to meet him in person after hearing him announce a decision. You can learn a lot about someone by reading his … More>

The Obama administration’s lack of understanding of the spiritual depth and commitment of private religious charities is shocking. The callousness of the federal effort to compel a noble Catholic religious order—the Little Sisters of the Poor—to forsake its faith commitments … More>

2015 has been a banner year for The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. We celebrated an all-time high in website traffic, an exponential growth in social media (approaching 25,000 Facebook fans), and a record number of … More>

2015 has been a banner year for The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. We celebrated an all-time high in website traffic, an exponential growth in social media (approaching 25,000 Facebook fans), and a record number of … More>

U.S. labor unions have long been experiencing a decline. In 1954, union membership for both public and private sector employees combined peaked at 28.3 percent. Today only around 11 percent of all workers belong to unions. The overall rate of … More>

Abigail Fisher applied for admission to the University of Texas at Austin (UT) as part of the entering class of 2008. Little did she know that being rejected for admission under UT’s race-conscious program would bring her before the U.S. … More>

In his scathing dissent, Justice Antonin Scalia summarized the Supreme Court’s decision in King v. Burwell in two sentences: “The court holds that when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act says ‘exchange established by the state’ it means ‘exchange … More>

It’s not too much to say that President Obama’s domestic legislative legacy could turn on the outcome of King v. Burwell, the landmark case argued in March before the U.S. Supreme Court, which a decision forthcoming soon. If the … More>

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear four cases involving the issue of same-sex unions. These cases come from the Sixth Circuit where the U.S. Appeals Court had earlier upheld Michigan’s definition of marriage as limited to one man … More>

Only a week after proposing to hit the middle class with a tax on college savings plans, President Obama dropped the assault on so-called “529 plans.” These plans have been used by parents for two decades to save for … More>

In the State of the Union address, President Obama declared: “We can’t put the security of families at risk by taking away their health insurance, or unraveling the new rules on Wall Street, or refighting past battles on immigration … More>

When Case Western University law professor Jonathan Adler testified before a House subcommittee on July 31, 2013, he had no idea that his analysis of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) could bring that gigantic piece of legislation … More>

A month ago, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a collection of cases which raised the question of traditional marriage vs. same-sex unions. Now, a Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decision may have changed all of that. By … More>

Every year, on the first Monday in October, the U.S. Supreme Court begins a new term. This year it began with a bang. The court refused to hear the largest number of petitions requesting certiorari—all of which raised the … More>

Wikipedia has called it the Veterans Health Administration Scandal of 2014. An audit released in early June found that more than 120,000 veterans were left waiting or never got care, and that records were intentionally vague, misleading, and falsified. More … More>

In a rare unanimous decision, all nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with the outcome in NLRB v. Canning. The Supreme Court found that President Obama’s recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) were unconstitutional. … More>

The Elmbrook School District operates two public high schools in suburban Wisconsin. Finding that its own gymnasiums were cramped, hot, and uncomfortable, and at the request of students, it decided to move joint graduation ceremonies to a local Protestant church … More>

Can the Internal Revenue Service silence a president’s political adversaries by using secret policies? It seems that we’re about to find out. The 17th century French politician and finance minister, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, once quipped that, “The art of taxation … More>

In January 2012, President Obama appointed three people to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which is the federal regulatory board that determines whether or not certain labor practices have been unfair. Since 2008, it had been without the three … More>

Unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock, you’ve noticed the growing clash between religious freedom and issues like same-sex marriage and forced funding of abortion. Last week, the Supreme Court heard a … More>

Conestoga Wood Specialties is a wood cabinets business located in Lancaster County, Pa. It is organized as a for-profit corporation and the voting shares are owned by members of a single family—the Hahns. They are Mennonite Christians. Conestoga … More>

Editor’s note: In this four-part series, Dr. John Sparks, a constitutional law professor at Grove City College, reviews and analyzes key upcoming U.S. Supreme Court cases that will have an impact on American life and liberty.

Republicans stood in a long line to excoriate Chief Justice John Roberts for voting to uphold Obamacare in 2012, while Democrats praised him. Today, both parties should thank him for being a “Profile in Courage.”

What I find somewhat surprising in the gay-marriage discussion is this: By the evidence of most polls, nearly half of Americans favor gay marriage, even though only 3-5 percent of Americans are gay. That is, only a very small minority … More>

In the limits of this brief essay I cannot adequately address the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), or the entirety of the Supreme Court’s recent decision regarding the same. As a native Virginian, however, I must fully disclose that, insofar … More>

The Supreme Court, in a case heard by eight Justices (Justice Kagan recused herself), has issued its decision involving the admissions policies of the University of Texas. In a 7-1 decision, the court sent the case back to the Fifth … More>

Let’s begin with a premise. Challenging, delaying, questioning, or bullying organizations about their non-profit, educational purposes chills both free speech and a free press. The current ruckus involving Internal Revenue Service policies aimed at conservative political groups supports that notion … More>

On a dark February afternoon in 1988, 25 students in a U.S. Constitutional History class waited expectantly in a little-used dining hall on the campus of Grove City College (in Grove City, Pennsylvania) for a special guest lecturer to arrive. … More>

Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared at RealClearMarkets.com.

A costly computer trading glitch involving market maker Knight Capital has intensified the debate over the effects and value of high-frequency algorithmic trading. The holding period for most of … More>

Editor’s Note: “[T]he issues here are layered and controversial. While each generation faces new medical possibilities, the 21st century is likely to see an increase in both the number and the sheer scope of what is possible. … As happens … More>

In December 1828, South Carolina had 5,000 copies of John C. Calhoun’s “Exposition and Protest” printed and distributed throughout the state. A defiant document, Calhoun’s “Exposition” outlined a theory of constitutional interpretation first adumbrated in the infamous Kentucky and Virginia … More>

The case that received more media attention and more consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court than any in recent history has been decided. The 5-4 decision upheld the “individual mandate,” the central feature of the Patient Protection and Affordable … More>

JPMorgan Chase, one of the nation’s largest banks, announced that it lost over $2 billion in trading over the last few months. This has emboldened supporters of the Volcker rule, which prohibits banks that enjoy government support from making risky … More>

President Obama recently complained about the possibility of the Supreme Court striking down Obamacare. He used the term “unprecedented” and was critical of “judicial activism” engaged in by “unelected” judges. In so doing, he showed his monumental misunderstanding of … More>

There is a widely held view that Congress has virtually unlimited power to legislate, especially concerning economic matters. Consider, for example, the passage of the controversial Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act two years ago. While Congress’ power to regulate … More>

Editor’s Note: The “V&V Q&A” is an e-publication from The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. In this latest edition, professor of political science and executive director of the Center—Dr. Paul Kengor—is interviewed by Kathryn Jean Lopez—editor-at-large … More>

Last Friday, President Obama responded to Catholic bishops’ concerns over his controversial mandate compelling Catholic institutions to provide contraception, sterilization, and abortion-inducing pharmaceuticals. Many media sources reported Obama’s action as an “accommodation,” with some describing it as a “reversal.” … More>

Editor’s Note: The “V&V Q&A” is an e-publication from The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. In this latest edition, we discuss a recent column by Ann Coulter, which criticized Newt Gingrich for advocating Helen Krieble’s “Red … More>

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the key feature of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known by many as “Obamacare,” is unconstitutional. The “individual mandate” portion of the legislation—a … More>

The Obama administration has drafted a new, little-noticed executive order that would plainly stifle free speech. The “Disclosure of Political Spending by Government Contractors” order is still a draft, but if the administration has its way, the order will be … More>

This Fourth of July marks 235 years since the Declaration of Independence was published. In this immortal document, the Spirit of ’76 was given its fullest, most eloquent expression. The Declaration is a timeless document, espousing eternal principles that, while … More>

Dr. William Petit stood on the steps of the New Haven Superior Court House. A jury had just recommended the death penalty for one of the men who had assaulted and murdered his wife and daughters. Though it was not … More>

Suppose you were arrested on criminal charges because you were the head of an organization that had produced a film critical of the wife of a former political leader, who was now running for office herself. What country would have … More>

Pfizer, the huge drug company, has announced that it will be leaving a large research complex in New London, Connecticut and moving several hundred jobs to nearby Groton. Such belt-tightening in tough economic times would normally draw little criticism. In … More>

On September 15, I was reading President Obama’s speech to the AFL-CIO and my blood pressure must have reacted in an unhealthy manner when I got to the line: “And that’s why I stand behind the Employee Free Choice Act—because … More>

The Obama administration is pushing again for the adoption of a bill with the misleading title, the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). One of its major provisions would make employers recognize unions on the basis of “card checks,” that is, … More>

The Obama administration will make every effort to pass a key piece of pro-union legislation. The bill has a misleading label: The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). In the interest of truth in advertising, the bill should be called, “The … More>

Earlier this year, in “The Next Great Depression,” I noted several parallels between the political economy of the early 1930s and today. Another intriguing parallel between then and now is the striking similarities between Barack Obama and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.… More>

The Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST), an omnibus treaty originally blocked by President Ronald Reagan, is back, supported by internationalist activists and profit-minded businessmen. The convention, originally intended to promote large-scale income redistribution to Third World states, … More>

Editor’s Note: The “V&V Q&A” is an e-publication from the Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. Each issue will present an interview with an intriguing thinker or opinion-maker that we hope will prove illuminating to readers everywhere. … More>

Everything is bigger in Texas, including the state’s stomach for capital punishment. Since 1976, Texas has executed some 387 criminals, a number nearly four times as high as the second place total. There has not traditionally been much … More>

EDITOR’S NOTE: Attorney Scott G. Bullock, Grove City College Class of ’88 and graduate of the University of Pittsburgh Law School, recently argued the case of Kelo v. City of New London before the U.S. Supreme Court. Despite Bullock’s courageous … More>

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